[Fwd: starship-design: HIGHLY OPTIMIZED TOLERANCE]

[Curtis Manges <clmanges@worldnet.att.net>]

KellySt@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 3/12/00 3:06:36 PM, lparker@cacaphony.net writes:
>
> >One has to wonder if this principle can be applied to ALL organized systems,
> >
> >such as software and mechanical engineering. This would have profound
> >
> >implications for systems designed to last for untold years in extreme (and
> >
> >unknown) environments, such as starships.
> >
> >
> >
> >Lee Parker
>
> Good point.  Anything too well adapted to do one thing, will generally be
> terible at something very different.  Works in biology and engineering.
>
> Kelly

Sure. That's what got us where we are today. We aren't the fastest or strongest
in anything, but we're mediocre in so _many_ things that we've managed to
overtake all of it. I've got a personal theory about space-faring races: one of
the requirements is that they be able to eat just about anything.

Keep looking up,

Curtis